Bally Awful
by bookwormgirlLH
Summary: Blackadder can see that George doesn't look too good, but doesn't ever think that he could be seriously ill. But when George's collapses at headquarters, can they find out what's wrong before it's too late...
1. Chapter 1: Poorly

George rolled over in bed, curling up to cradle his abdomen, which was filled with a hideous burning pain. Shivering, he burrowed down under his dirty blankets, putting his throbbing head under the pillow to block out the early morning sunlight that was invading his sleep.

"It's getting light, so it must be about five - I'll have to get up in an hour." He thought, but despite his discomfort, George managed to drift back off into light and restless sleep.

* * *

"Lieutenant, it's time to get up." Baldrick said softly, shaking George's shoulder.

When George didn't wake up, Edmund Blackadder shouted, "George!" And the young officer jerked awake, sitting bolt upright, before doubling up as his stomach ache returned.

"You were meant to be up fifteen minutes ago." Blackadder snapped irritably, "So hurry up and get ready, bloody Darling called, and Melchett wants us up at HQ in half an hour."

"I'm sorry, Captain." George said, sounding surprisingly hurt, as he stumbled out of bed and hurriedly pulling on his uniform.

Blackadder saw that George was very pale and looked like he was in pain, but he was so irritated that he really didn't care, until the Lieutenant screwed up his eyes, looking like he was trying not to cry, which was when Edmund felt a stab of sympathy for the usually cheerful young soldier.

Blackadder tried to hide his sympathy, but spoke to George more softly, "Do you want some breakfast, George, we shouild still have enough time to get to headquarters?" he asked.

Baldrick, who had just boiled the kettle, appeared behind the Captain, and handed him a cracked mug of tea, before giving another to George. Lifting the mug to his lips with his trembling hands, George took a long, slow sip of tea, grimicing at its foul taste - how did Baldrick managed to ruin somthing as simple as tea? - but relishing the feeling of warmth it gave his freezing body. Taking another sip, George pulled away from Baldrick as the Private thrust a plate of stale bread under his nose.

"No thanks Baldrick - I'm not terribly hungery at the moment." He said weakly, stomach turning at the thought of eating.

"Well, would you like the bread, sir?" Baldrick asked Blackadder, turning to face his Captain, who was staring into space. "Sir?"

"No Baldrick," Blackadder snapped, "because that bread looks so stale that I'd probably break a tooth if I tried to eat it." He zoned out again, wondering what was wrong with George, for he definatly wasn't himself - he was really pale and wasn't eating, and George was always hungry.

"Sir?" George interrupted him cautiously, "Should we go to headquarters now?"

"Yes, I suppose we have to." Blackadder sighed, before the left their dugout and headed of to HQ.


	2. Chapter 2: Ill

Blackadder, looking bored, Baldrick, looking gormless, and George, looking pale, walked through the doorway into the office of the man Blackadder hated the most - Captain Darling.

Darling looked up, his eye twitching at the sight of Blackadder as it always did, sighing heavily, "You're late, Blackadder." He said, smiling as George and Baldrick stood to attention, but scowling as Blackadder didn't.

Edmund saw this, "I'm not saluting you Darling, because, if it hasn't escaped your notice, we have the same rank, so you are not my commanding officer."

Darling couldn't think of a comeback to that, so he just snapped irritably at he other captain, "Oh shut up, Blackadder!"

"Calm down, Drling." General Melchett said as he strolled into the room, his sudden appearance making Darling jump and the others, including Blackadder - which made Darling smirk irritatingly - , stand to attention, saluting him.

Blackadder, who was standing between George and Baldrick, could hear George's laboured breathing and feel the heat radiating from his body, which was running a fever, but ignored it, reluctantly listening to the General instead.

The General caught sight of George, and just stared at him, "Are you alright, George?" He asked.

"Yes, Sir, I've never been better." George replied weakly, a forced smile on his pale face.

The General didn't look convinced, but turned back to Blackadder, who looked pissed off.

Just as Melchett opened his mouth to speak, George doubled forewards, clutching his abdomen, crying out in agony as the pain became to strong to bear, before vomiting all over Darling's desk. His legs gave way, and George toppled sideways into Blackadder, who lowered the Lieutenant to the ground, watching helplessly as he passed out.

"George?" He said uncertainly, shaking his shoulders, but he got no response. Blackadder looked up at Melchett and Darling - who was shrugging off his vomit soaked jacket, a look of disgust on his face, eye twitching like mad - and said, "Sir, he's ill, he needs to go to the field hospital."

Whilst Edmund was genuinely concerned about George, he didn't really think that he needed to go to the hospital - but whenever Melchett called them to headquarters, it was usually for a suicide mission, and Blackadder knew that George being in hospital would give him time to think up a way tp get out of it.

Darling, somewhat reluctantly, rang the field hospital and was told that an ambulance was on its way. When it arrived, the medics tried unsuccessfully to rouse George, before speaking to the General "He's got a very high fever, sir, so he should go to hospital."

Melchett nodded, and the medics lifted George onto a stretcher and carried him into the ambulance.

Blackadder and Baldrick clamoured in beside him and the ambulance sped off towards the field hospital.

Baldrick look at the medic, George and Blackadder, before saying, "Is the Lieutenant alright, Sir."

"I'm a private, too, so you don't need to call me sir," the medic replied, "But he should be okay once we find out what's wrong with him."

Although the medic was being fairly optimistic, Edmund couldn't ignore a voice in his mind telling him that George was going to die, and that, somehow, this was all his fault...


End file.
